Pageant contestant driven to the brink of suicide after nonsensical answer went viral

A former Miss Teen USA hopeful who was mocked around the world for her rambling and incoherent answer to a question says the ridicule she suffered drove her to the brink of suicide.

Caitlin Upton represented South Carolina in the 2007 pageant that drew attention around the world after she struggled to give her thoughts on why a fifth of Americans could not locate the United States on a map.

"I personally believe that US Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some, uh, people out there in our nation don't have maps," she said.

"And, uh, I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and, uh, the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and, I believe that they should, our education over here in the US should help the US, uh, or, uh, should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future."

A clip of her answer immediately went viral and remains a popular video with more than 63 million views so far.

But the unwanted attention took a heavy emotional toll on the then 18-year-old, who told New York magazine that online and real world bullying caused her to sink into depression.

"I definitely went through a period where I was very, very depressed," Upton, now 26, told the magazine.